Top things to do in Tampa Bay for Dec. 7

ORG XMIT: NYET220 FILE - In this file theater publicity image released by Boneau/Bryan-Brown, from left, Rema Webb, Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad perform in "The Book of Mormon" at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre in New York. "The Book of Mormon" has been a critical and box-office darling even without big-name stars and Tuesday's Tony Award nominations could give it an extra boost. The 65th annual Tony Awards nominations will be announced Tuesday, May 3, 2011. (AP Photo/Boneau/Bryan-Brown, Joan Marcus)

The Book of Mormon: The critically-acclaimed, religious satire musical written by the creators of South Park has won nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Through Dec. 10. 7:30 p.m., Carol Morsani Hall at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts, 1010 N MacInnes Place, Tampa. $33.75 and up. (813) 229-7827.

DTSP Night Market: Discover all downtown St. Pete has to offer - shop the curated selection of local artists, crafters and other local businesses, while enjoying wine or craft beers for sale, at pet-friendly Night Market, the first Thursday of the month, through Dec. 6 p.m., Plaza Tower and Courtyard Shops, 111 Second Ave. NE, St. Petersburg. Free admission.

North Pole Express: All Aboard for an express trip to visit Santa Claus at the North Pole. Passengers can sing with carolers throughout the journey. Santa greets every child upon arrival at the North Pole and presents them with a special gift. 5:30 p.m., Florida Railroad Museum, 12210 83rd St. E, Parrish. $20.50-$49.50, 1 and younger free. (877) 869-0800.

Wonderland of Lights : This 32 day event incorporates dozens of animated and still light displays, as well as a Christmas village featuring horse-drawn wagon rides, the North Pole Express, a petting zoo, holiday mural coloring, games, camel and pony rides, visits with Santa and holiday food. 6 p.m., Hillsborough County Fairgrounds, Corner of Sydney Washer Road and Hwy 60, Brandon. $20, $75 buses. Toll-free 1-800-377-4625.

Santa and Ice Skating in St. Petersburg: Santa and his sleigh will be appearing on select nights in St. Petersburg for visits with area children. After visiting Santa, stick around for "glice" skating on a simulated ice rink. 6 p.m., North Straub Park, Fifth Avenue NE and Bayshore Drive, St. Petersburg. Free; $5 skating. (727) 893-7441.

ArtFlix: White Christmas: A film series that features art-related documentaries and feature films. In White Christmas, a successful song and dance team become romantically involved and attempt to save a failing inn. 6 p.m., Dali Museum, 1 Dali Blvd. (Bayshore Drive SE and Fifth Avenue SE), St. Petersburg. Free. (727) 823-3767.

North Pole Express: All Aboard for an express trip to visit Santa Claus at the North Pole. Passengers can sing with carolers throughout the journey. Santa greets every child upon arrival at the North Pole and presents them with a special gift. 7 p.m., Florida Railroad Museum, 12210 83rd St. E, Parrish. $20.50-$49.50, 1 and younger free. (877) 869-0800.

Paul Mecurio: The comic and writer has won an Emmy Award and a Peabody Award for his work on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. 8 p.m., Improv Comedy Theater, 1600 E Eighth Ave., Tampa. $15-$17. (813) 864-4000.

Much Ado About Nothing: William Shakespeare’s romantic comedy gets an update by placing lovers Beatrice and Benedick against the backdrop of the Florida Keys as World War II is drawing to a close. Through Dec. 10. 8 p.m., American Stage Theatre Company at Raymond James Theater, 163 Third St. N, St. Petersburg. $39. (727) 823-7529.

Bobby Slayton: "The Pitbull of Comedy" has numerous radio, television and film credits, including The Rat Pack and Get Shorty. 8:30 p.m., Side Splitters Comedy Club, 12938 N Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa. $10-$16.50. (813) 960-1197.

TO WATCH

Toy Story That Time Forgot, 8:30 p.m., ABC: A post-Christmas playdate with all the toys takes a scary turn when the gang discovers a village of delusional dinosaur toys .

WHERE’S THE PURPOSE? Katy PerryYou can pinpoint the exact moment when things started to unravel for Katy Perry’s Witness. It was 12:23 a.m. on Feb. 10, when she tweeted of her latest musical direction: "We gonna call this era Purposeful Pop." You kin...

PHANTOM REDUX: LOVE NEVER DIESTurns out, the Phantom survived that angry mob. We know that because the antihero of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 1986 musical The Phantom of the Opera re-emerges in the 2010 sequel, Love Never Dies.It opens in 1907 New York, w...

NEW HOPE: Star Wars partiesWith the opening of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the force of fan excitement is strong, so of course there are Star Wars parties this weekend. The giant movie complex Riverview 14 GDX is having celebration with characters from...

Santa and Ice Skating in St. Petersburg: Santa and his sleigh will be appearing on select nights in St. Petersburg for visits with area children. After visiting Santa, stick around for "glice" skating on a simulated ice rink. 6 p.m., North Straub Par...

FestivalsFirst Friday Dade City: The streets of downtown Dade City will come alive from 5 to 9 p.m. Dec. 15 with numerous activities, music and carriage rides throughout the downtown area. Local merchants and restaurants will be open. Hosted by the D...

Gifts are wrapped, halls are decked and people are on Twitter calling Baby, It’s Cold Outside a "sexual predator anthem." It’s a holiday tradition for the social media age.
Pointing out the creepiness of the song — or "rapeyness," ...

1 Battle at the Beach: The Gasparilla Bowl is coming to Tropicana Field on Dec. 21, but before that the bands, cheerleaders and dance teams from Florida International University and Temple University will have a day of beach-related games and competi...

"Wall" Art: Hasta la Visa BabyBorders and walls have been topics of political discussion this year, and art often acts as society’s mirror. Hasta la Visa Baby (yes, visa is intentional) at the Silver Meteor Gallery in Ybor City is more than an art ex...

Now isn’t a good time for Woody Allen to make a bad movie, while broken silence resurrects whispers of his own alleged sexual misconduct.Wonder Wheel (PG-13) is exactly what the 82-year-old Oscar winner doesn’t need, a reason beyond social outrage fo...

If you’re buying me a gift this year, don’t get me an Instant Pot. I’m serious. I don’t subscribe to the "you can never be too thin or too rich" school of thought, but the "you can never have too much kitchen cabinet space" is dead right in my book. ...